London assembly member for North East London — fighting your corner at City Hall

18th December 2017

5:43pm

“Domestic Workers are Workers”: my recent activity with the Voice of Domestic Workers

The Voice of Domestic Workers Exhibition and Event

On Thursday 14th December I had the pleasure of co-hosting an evening and exhibition highlighting the exploitation of migrant Domestic Workers.

Held in City Hall last Thursday, the event was well attended by industry experts, involved parties, active campaigners and many others who have been affected by this new phenomenon and who are working to combat it.

The Exhibition was held in City Hall from 12th – 19th December, and featured images taken by Voice of Domestic Workers Campaigner Paul Elijah Villanueva that tapped into the individual experiences of the different members of the campaign group. The images are incredibly powerful and harrowing with their portrayal of ill-treatment but also determination to overcome it.

Other speakers at the event included: Joanne McCartney AM, Deputy Mayor; Laura Alvarez-Corbyn; Marissa Begonia, leader of the Voice of Domestic Workers; whilst a later panel had Diana Holland, Kate Roberts and Jamila Duncan-Bosu. It was a fascinating evening with a few performances from the Voice of Domestic Workers, which were introduced by Roman Berry who runs body and mind workships that allow the members to work through the emotional trauma they deal with as a result of their experiences.